Asia

• (5 minutes) Show the reading “Modern History and U.S. Foreign Policy: Asia” on a projector and introduce students to the format—a series of short entries on significant moments in the region’s history. Discuss the importance, as one reads, of synthesizing: looking for takeaways that span multiple entries from the reading. As an example, write on the board: “a history of domination by foreign powers has shaped many countries in Asia”
• (20 minutes) Individually or in small groups, have students read “Modern History and U.S. Foreign Policy: Asia” and have them come up with two more takeaways that synthesize the reading.
• (10 minutes) Have students write their takeaways on post-it notes and stick them all on a wall. Working together sort them to put takeaways that are substantially similar together and discuss them. Make the point that different readers may come up with slightly different syntheses, but so long as they are supported by the text, they are valid.
• (10 minutes) Discuss the class’s takeaways. What is striking to students? Does anything surprise them?
• Divide the class into four groups and assign them the remaining sections of the Asia learning journey (national politics, regional politics, economics, people & society). If there is time, students can begin their homework.

Students should read the section of the Learning Journey they were assigned at the end of class and write three takeaways that synthesize the reading.

• (15 minutes) Organize students for a jigsaw: put them in groups of four, such that each group has one person who did each of the four different readings for homework.
  • Ask each student to share the takeaways they wrote for homework with the group. Remind them that their groupmates have not done the readings, so they should not only share their takeaway but also briefly explain points from the reading that support the takeaway.
• (15 minutes) Transition to talking about China specifically
  • In their same small groups, ask students to brainstorm bullet points that summarize China’s foreign policy goals. They should refer back to the takeaways they’ve written, and to the texts. Then have students condense the bullet points into a sentence that states China’s foreign policy goals and write their sentence on the board.
• (15 minutes) Full class discussion
  • As a class, review the sentences on the board. They will probably be pretty similar.
  • Lead a full-class discussion of the question: What might be the consequences of this foreign policy for China’s neighbors? For the United States?

Have students read the mini simulation “A Threat to Taiwan” for homework and conduct the simulation in class the next day.